Players tend to reflect on their draft day experiences as the process unfolds again for the next wave of high school and college athletes. It can come naturally or be pried loose from another reporter searching for a story. Alex Cobb, who starts tonight against the Mets at Citi Field, went through it only once as the Rays chose him in the fourth round in 2006 out of Vero Beach High School. He reached the majors five years later. Cobb was an amateur in multiple ways. Void of any professional...

The Nationals went with pitching again in the first round of the First-Year Player Draft, selecting high school right-hander Mason Denaburg from Merritt Island, Fla., with the 27th overall pick. Denaburg is a multi-sport athlete, having already committed to the University of Florida to play baseball, and projects as a right-hander in the majors. But the 18-year-old has also played as a punter/kicker in football and has shown his power as an outfielder and catcher in baseball. "We are very...

The Washington Nationals selected prep right-handed pitcher Mason Denaburg with the No. 27 selection in the 2018 First-Year Player Draft. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo, and Assistant General Manager & Vice President of Scouting Operations Kris Kline made the joint announcement. Denaburg, a 6-foot-3, 190-pound right-hander, went 5-1 with a 1.27 ERA (5 ER/35.1 IP) in eight starts during his senior season at Merritt Island (Fla.) High School. He...

Manager: Kevin Cash (4th season) Record: 28-30 Last 10 games: 5-5 Who to watch: 1B C.J. Cron (12 HR, 32 RBIs), SS Daniel Robertson (.272), C Wilson Ramos (.301 with 7 HR, 29 RBIs), 3B Matt Duffy (.308), RHP Sergio Romo (5.96 ERA), RHP Ryne Stanek (3.97 ERA) Season series vs. Nationals: First meeting (2-1 in 2015) Pitching probables: June 5: RHP Nathan Eovaldi (1-0) vs. RHP Max Scherzer (9-1), 7:05 p.m., MASN2June 6: TBA vs. RHP Tanner Roark (2-6), 1:05 p.m., MASN2 Inside the Rays: The Rays...

The Orioles chose another high school pitcher tonight with their first pick in the First-Year Player Draft. Just not a name that had been linked to them. The Orioles used the 11th overall pick on right-hander Grayson Rodriguez of Central Heights High School in Nacogdoches, Texas. Rodriguez is listed at 6-foot-5 and 230 lbs. and has been lauded for improving his conditioning over the winter while working with a trainer. His fastball can touch 97-98 mph, according to Baseball America, and...

Did you know that in 1951 the St. Louis Browns' Ned Garver received a call from a reporter with the Washington Post to congratulate him on winning the MVP award? A day later it was announced that Yogi Berra won the award. Did you know that in the 1944, in the movie "Going My Way," Bing Crosby wore a St. Louis Browns jacket and cap? How about the fact Don Larsen of World Series no-hit fame was the last former Browns player to play in the majors? Me either. Bill Borst, Bill Rodgers and Ed...

The Orioles filled out their 40-man roster this afternoon while again addressing pitching depth in the minors by claiming left-hander D.J. Snelten off waivers from the Giants and optioning him to Triple-A Norfolk. Snelten, 26, was designated for assignment on May 28. He made his major league debut in Game 2 of an April 28 doubleheader against the Dodgers. In four appearances with the Giants, Snelten allowed five earned runs and six total with nine hits and three walks in 4 1/3 innings. He...

Washington baseball fans still love Ken McMullen. The former Senators third baseman's 76th birthday was June 1, and there were dozens of likes and comments on a post recognizing the occasion on two D.C. Baseball History Facebook pages. The post included a photo of McMullen wearing a Senators uniform, in a fielding pose and wearing a batting helmet. McMullen came to the Senators in the same seven-player blockbuster that brought Frank Howard to the nation's capital, and McMullen flourished...

The Nationals look to stockpile their team for the future as the 2018 First-Year Player Draft gets underway tonight. The club has the No. 27 and No. 65 selections in the first two rounds. According to Baseball America, the Nationals will have a bonus pool of $5,603,800 to work with, which ranks 27th in allotted monies league-wide. Due to the team's on-field success in recent campaigns, they have selected in the lower half of each first round: Erick Fedde (18th, 2014), Carter Kieboom (28th,...

The First-Year Player Draft begins tonight and its significance to the Orioles is heightened by the approaching roster transformation related to future trades and possible free agent departures. Impact acquisitions are needed to cushion the blows which can be done via the returns on any deals and the selections made from the pool of high school and college talent. The latter needs to be more than just depth moves. But no pressure. The Orioles are prepared to punt on the 2018 season. They can...